Endings and Truths
by Giedre
Summary: I hated the way she ended The Key so abruptly, so I thought I'd add on a little something extra... Ethan angst. EthanxRochelle


**Disclaimer: Marianne Curley owns everything, even Arkarian sniff**

**After I finished the Key, I was left kind of shocked at how she ended it. I mean, it was like- WHAM! and there's the ending. So, I just kind of... extended the ending for myself. I'm not entirely satisfied with it, but that's okay I think. I wrote it right after I finished the book, so I was a bit emotional... Anyway, It's pretty much just an Ethan vignette one-shot (I won't be adding to it.) that I thought I would share:**

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Ethan

Lucid thoughts come back to my troubled mind slowly, and with the sudden onslaught, I realize I must have been standing here for a very long time. The sun has moved drastically across the sky, I think, noticing the change of light on the foliage surrounding me.

Taking a shuddering breath that hurts worse than I expected it to, I feel as if someone has frozen me inside a huge block of ice only to begin defrosting when I least expect it. I'm not ready for the surge of emotions to come rushing through my numbed body, I'm still in shock of all that has taken place today. A name swims up through the depths of my consciousness, and I know whose it is. Before it can fully latch on to my brain, it is already being shoved back own by a mind and heart too battered and hurt to react correctly.

As my breathing starts up again- (was I holding my breath?) I half turn, catching out of the corner of my eye a figure standing behind and a little to the side of me. I look for Matt, but quickly realize Arkarian is the only one to remain with me during my silent vigil. I can't blame Matt. Now that he's taken up his destiny, he has the whole group of us to worry about, and I just hope he's doing his best. I know I should be there too, helping with the recovery, but somehow, I can't make myself walk out of this forest.

The boulder that was Marduke only a few hours ago sits a few steps from us, and it's him I've been staring at. The man… beast, who has deprived me of the three people I cared most about in the world. My sister, my mother, and now… my soul mate.

No. I can't think about her. I know, deep down, that it's my fault she's dead, and the guilt washes over me in a pain I thought I'd never have to live through again. I shake with the intensity of it, and it isn't until Arkarian speaks that my thoughts are able to steady and listen.

"Ethan, it is not your fault." There is an intensity to his voice that sounds like anger, but I know it isn't. I just shake my head. I can't look at Arkarian, instead I focus on my shoes, and listen.

"Ethan, you _can't possibly_ believe this is your fault. There is no one to blame for Rochelle's death but Marduke, and he is dead- so much the better for it!" Arkarian's voice is thick with more emotion than I've ever heard from him, even though I've known him most of my life. The tone of his voice isn't what makes me look up though- it's the words he speaks- how wrong they are. And Arkarian's never wrong.

"The arrow was meant for _me_!" I begin, realizing something- "Not only that, it was my weapon! The one given to me by Matt to protect the Named with, and instead…" Blinking back my tears takes more effort than I expect, and I can't help another shuddering breath from wracking my body as I become conscious of the fact that I'm not the only one who has lost someone close to them. So wrapped up in my own pain, I was oblivious to Arkarian's, even though he's stood beside me for the last few hours, keeping me silent company!

I've never been good at hiding my thoughts, and I can see that Arkarian has heard them. All he does is sigh softly, shaking his head. He stays silent for a moment, both of us trying unsuccessfully to pull ourselves together. I'm grateful for the silence- if he started lecturing me or something, I don't know what I'd do.

Arkarian sighs again, running his fingers through his blue hair. As his hand drops, he turns toward me, gesturing towards the edge of the forest, where I can just make out the shapes of people through the trees, moving about.

"The others are waiting."

I nod slowly, turning away from Marduke's stone effigy, and the two of us slowly begin picking our way through the trees, towards sunlight and our friends, who are waiting for us at the edge of the forest.

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**If you hated it to death, tell me. I kind of like it though, and if you are one of the few and far-between peeps who have actually read these books and read fanfiction for them, I would LOVE to hear from you.**


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